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ALEXANDRIA, Va. (WJLA) - Traffic in and out of Old Town Alexandria was snarled Friday afternoon after two electrical poles fell over into the roadway.

Alexandria Police closed Route 1 in both directions from Slater's Lane to First Street, except for one northbound lane, to deal with the downed poles. The clean-up could take as long as 10 hours, they said.

"The public is urged to use caution in the area and treat all uncontrolled intersections - [such as those with] no power or officer directing traffic - as a four-way stop," police said.

The fallen poles have caused power outages in the area. Power to the Charles Houston Recreation Center and Memorial Pool was out for a while, promoting the facilities' closure, but police said the two facilities reopened just before 3 p.m. after power was restored.

Police said the poles fell on their own sometime between noon and 1 p.m. The cause is currently being investigated.